


the scum on earth

by EMObutterfly07



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canonical Character Death, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Implied/Referenced Torture, Keith is super Protective, Lance is scarred, M/M, Minor Character Death, Murder, S8 if Sendak was actually a threat, Sendak captured them but it's klance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-16 12:07:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29453529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EMObutterfly07/pseuds/EMObutterfly07
Summary: In the middle of the battle they were all waiting for, the battle to protect Earth, their home, Sendak captured them. He locked them up, and Keith was useless and too scared to be their leader.Keith has always been careful and patient when it came to Lance. He had a reputation of scaring people and pushing everyone away, and he couldn't risk it with Lance. Still, when the one person he loves is in danger, scarred and in pain, he loses control. And all that care becomes just as useless as he himself. He couldn't protect him.
Relationships: Keith/Lance (Voltron)
Kudos: 33





	the scum on earth

They were captured. Sendak captured them, and took their armor off. They had no weapons, and the lions were in a Saturn moon, far enough so they'd be safe from the imminent threat to the universe that Sendak represented. The only one who had a way to communicate with the outside was Allura, with the magic earrings connected to the Atlas's ships. She'd talk to them now and then, but with the heavy fire they were dealing with, it'd be impossible for any of their allies to rescue them. 

Keith tried to focus. Breath in and out, forget the stressful situation and think of a plan. Think like Shiro. But as soon as he managed to get his stupid useless brain to work for once, Allura would tell them about the horrible situation the others had. "Particle barrier out!" "Unable to recharge the Ion cannon!" "Overall system in risk of overload!" He got tired of it after a while and gave up. Instead, he started walking up and down the room, the hard sole of his suit's shoes making a clicking noise when it hit the ground. Pidge told him to stop and calm down countless times, but he either ignored or responded with a low and harsh "I can't", before falling back into that frustrating silence that allowed Allura to keep delivering the bad news. After Pidge had already given up on getting Keith to stop, he finally sat down. He did so only because it was the third time in a very limited span of time that he heard a small sniff coming from Lance's cell. 

"You're ok?" He asked, his back against the wall dividing they're rooms. A loud, frustratingly sad sigh came as an answer. 

"I'm gonna make Mama cry again." Lance's voice was small, barely audible through the thick metal walls. "I know it sonds stupid, but… She was so heartbroken because of me disappearing in space, Keith." Keith felt his heart getting squeezed in his chest, then dropped dead on the very bottom of his intestine. Lance's voice cracked too much and too often, like every word choked him when he tried to put them out. But he kept going. "She thought I was dead, then figured I was alive but could die at any given moment, then I came back, and now… Now I could die just as easily. And she has such a soft heart… I don't want her to suffer because of me."

His voice got progressively weaker and weaker as he rambled. Keith didn't know how it felt, to care so unconditionally about someone that, as you're face to face with death, your only wish is for that person to not cry for you. But, as he thought about it, he got to put himself in Lance's mother's position. What would he do if Lance just… disappeared one day? 

"She wont. Your mother won't suffer for you." He said. He tried his best to sound reassuring and determined, but he's always been terrible at putting his emotions out. He thought it sounded more mean than anything, but he kept going. "She won't have to. We'll get you back to her. I promise."

There was a moment that felt too long and too painful before Lance sniffed again. "Thanks, Keith." Now, Keith admired too much and too many things in Lance to ever rate them in a top five or ten. But the capacity to express himself so thoroughly and truthfully so naturally would easily be in a top five. Maybe even three. In that moment, his voice was so soft and genuinely grateful, Keith could even say it was sweet and loving, if he wanted to give his helpless heart some hope.

But he didn't, so he just admired Lance's ability from afar, that small part of him that still clung to denial saying it was a normal admiration for a friend's skill that he lacked. So he kept himself in silence, his heart beating fast against his ribs. He looked at the ceiling, hearing Allura speak. 

"They fixed the Ion cannon, but it's only enough for one blow. We need to go out there and help. They can't take it all by themselves." Keith sighed. He closed his eyes, concentrating. He was the leader. He's been a horrible one, but he's better now. He's learned. Emptying his head normally helped, but it was hard to do so when everything pointed to a situation with no solution. The more he tried to concentrate and come up with something, anything - he got the feeling he needed to punch a wall. Or maybe Sendak's face.

He groaned. It was impossible to escape. He thought about that possibility; the universe where Voltron doesn't make it. He's thought about it numerous times. The one where they never find Shiro, where he never pilots the Black Lion, the one where they get stuck with Bob for eternity, the one where they never exit the quintessence field. To all of these, he could see at least one possible outcome to them. They all either die, go crazy, get tortured then die, or get tortured, go crazy and then die. But this time, he didn't know. Sendak was too unpredictable. He might torture them, but with what reason? He somehow didn't think it'd happen. Well, they'd certainly die, but that was an ending every reality had. He didn't know for how long they'd stay alive, nor which of them would die and which wouldn't. He just… Couldn't figure it out. And it made him all the more frustrated.

"Wait." It was only when Allura spoke up that he realized she'd been quiet for some time. "There might be a way out. Remember how the Red Lion saved Keith countless times? Well, that'd mean they can be called to us from afar. We could call them and use them to escape!"

"Whoa!" Hunk said, surprised. "Whoa, there! Calling a Lion to us is very different to controlling them from afar." Keith raised an eyebrow. Controlling a Lion without piloting it? He didn't doubt it was possible. After all, it is five giant mechanical magical space Lions they were talking about. But he wasn't sure them as paladins could do it. They had close to no training in that. They had almost no time, in the middle of war for the control of the universe, to have bonding exercises with their Lions. Keith wasn't sure if he could even see through his Lion's eyes.

"Hunk's right," Pidge said, before Keith could voice his concerns. "It might be impossible. But I don't see any other way we get out of here alive."

They were right. He didn't think they'd survive anyway, but they had to try. They could potentially be putting their energy into a fruitless hope, but it was hope all the same. Hope. He didn't know what they were hoping for. The world? No. Their purpose was bigger than that. The universe? No. The universe was hoping, but not for itself. Themselves? Possibly. people had that sense of wanting to extend their life span for as long as they can. Keith never understood it. They'd die after all no matter what they did. That's the only thing stable enough that Keith feels it's worth to rely on. The only thing never changes.

"We need to try it." Lance choked, his voice rough and low. He cleared his throat, and when he spoke again his voice was softer, but determined. "If there's a chance, no matter how small, we need to try it. There's too many people out there that need us. There's… There's too much to risk" In the last sentence, his voice failed. He sounded breathless, helpless, and Keith felt his heart stop for a moment, trying to catch up.

That was it. Protection. They were all hoping for protection. Safety. The world, the whole universe, they were seeking for peace. And they turned to them, those five broken children who didn't really know what or how they were doing, to free them. And Lance-- Oh God, Lance. Lance's family was waiting for him. And he - he, Keith Kogane - had promised him his family would see him again. What kind of leader-- no, what kind of friend would he be to Lance, if he gave up on everything, on him-- Giving up on Lance… 

"Let's try it. Everyone, close your eyes." Keith sat up straighter, determined. "Concentrate. Feel the bond with your Lions. Imagine the control panel in front of you. Fly." 

The room fell silent. He reached for Black, remembering the feeling he got in every moment they bonded before. He pulled this feeling up, pushed it forward, slowly feeling it reemerge, filling his chest with the notion of power - the Lion's power - and his vision was flooded with the scene in front of his Lion. He couldn't see the control panel, but he knew it was there. He knew it all too well. He didn't need a visual on it. The corner of his lips curled up in a victorious smirk. 

He opened his mouth to speak again, motivate the team, get in formation and fly back to Earth, when he heard heavy footsteps. Not one, not two, maybe four or five people. They kept going, getting closer, and closer, and closer… He stopped paying attention. He needed to concentrate on his Lion, stop hearing or seeing the outside world, or the bond would break, and he wasn't sure if he could do it again. In front of him, the other four Lions were looking at him and growling faintly, yellow eyes glowing, waiting for orders. Except… Except the Red Lion.

"Lance?" Keith asked, weakening the bond with Black so he could hear Lance. "What's wrong?"

But Lance didn't answer. It was only when the footsteps stopped that he remembered they existed in the first place. There was a noise of a door opening, and Keith fought his own curiosity, resisting the urge to open his eyes and look around. But then, Lance gasped. He closed his eyes tighter, telling himself it was ok, forcing his bond with Black to stay, while also paying attention to the outside and what he could hear from Lance.

"You and the Black Paladin seem to have a strong connection." Sendak said from what seemed to be the inside of Lance's cell. "I wonder if he cares enough to break free and save you or if he's too weak to do so." And Lance screamed. It was a deep agonizing howl, that sounded like he tried to hold it back, but it just came from far too deep in his throat. He couldn't stop it.

"LANCE!" Keith opened his eyes, jerking up and running to the wall that blocked his view. Lance's cry stopped, but was shortly followed by another. "STOP! LANCE!" He yelled again. Distancing himself from the wall, he ran for the door, and threw himself. The impact sent a stream of sharp pain up his shoulder, and he hissed, stumbling backwards. He did it again, and again, ignoring the pain in his shoulders as he tried to put more and more strength on his jumps. "STOP IT, YOU COWARD! WANNA FIGHT? COME FIGHT WITH ME!" 

The screams kept coming. They would go as fast as they came, and as soon as one ended, another started. Progressively, they became muffled, sounding dragged and ragged. Keith's throat felt sore, and he knew his voice sounded just as pained as Lance's, but he didn't care. He needed to get Lance out of there, but the more he tried the weaker he got, and it became more and more inefficient with time. He didn't stop, but his legs tried to. He didn't want to. He couldn't. 

Then it stopped. Lance didn't scream for a while, and Keith stopped yelling too, even though he still charged at the door non-stop. Sendak hadn't said a thing during it all. Hadn't budged. In that moment of silence, however, he spoke up: "Pathetic," was all he said. Keith could practically see that stupid ass ugly face of his, emotionless, staring at Lance while he screamed, while he tortured Lance. And Keith wanted to carve a knife in that fucking eye of his so fucking much… He was preparing for another charge to the door when he heard Lance's voice. "Keith…" He froze. It sounded weak, ragged, sore, like it hurt so much to use his voice, his beautiful voice, that he had to force the word out of his mouth to say it. Like he couldn't take more than that.

But he didn't get to properly finish saying his name, and another piercing, painful scream filled Keith's ears. And it burned. In that moment, Keith felt his entire being burning. His ears, his heart, his legs, his shoulders, his throat, the back of his eyes. He knew he could never even begin to fathom the pain Lance was feeling at that moment, and that knowledge made it burn even harder. And, when he heard Lance screaming, he screamed with him. Because it was helpless. Lance was being tortured, would probably be killed, and he couldn't do anything. He screamed, even after his throat gave up on him and his cry was muted, leaving only the pain to remind him he was screaming, even after his cheeks dried out and moving his mouth felt like his face was cracking, after his head felt empty and hollow, Lance's screams echoing even as Keith knew he had fallen silent. He only stopped when he couldn't hear anything but Sendak and his men's footsteps, leaving the cells. And even after that, he cried. He couldn't remember the last time he really cried, but at that time he did. He was scared. He didn't know if Lance was dead or alive or even conscious, and he was afraid to find out. 

The sound of Lance's pain only left Keith's head when another sound, louder and closer, muffled it. He looked up, but couldn't see anything. Because it wasn't in his cell. It was in Lance's. He heard a low growl coming from the other side of the wall, and the Red Lion communicated with him, their old yet strong bond still there. It came for Lance. And Keith needed to help. He closed his eyes, connecting back with Black, falling comfortably and surprisingly fast into the bond that made it possible for Keith to pilot his Lion from so far away. Using Black's wings, he didn't take long to arrive at Sendak's ship. In no time, he was inside Lance's cell, in front of Red, and hearing the hurried footsteps of Sendak's men, coming to stop them. Keith took him into Red, sitting him in front of the control panel. After making sure he was alive - and thank God he was alive, - he went for his own Lion. Flying up to join the battle, Keith felt… Something. He couldn't pinpoint it exactly, but it was there, at the very pit of his stomach. 

"Atlas, the Red Lion is heading there right now with Lance. Take care of him." Keith demanded, as soon as he was filled in with the battlefield information. 

"What happened to Lance?" Pidge asked. Keith felt that feeling boiling up, threatening to surface. He pushed it down. "He wasn't responding. Is he hurt?"  
"Yes." His voice was small and spiteful.  
"Keith." Shiro called, in a warning tone. "What happened to Lance?"

"He's hurt." He knew what he meant, but he didn't want to say it. Saying Sendak tortured him out loud… It felt wrong.  
"Keith, tell me-"

"He's hurt, Shiro." He snapped. His voice failed, his throat feeling dry and rough. "Can we just fight?"

"Ok, but we need Voltron." Allura said. "And we can't form Voltron without Lance. How badly is he hurt?"

"He's unconscious. And needs rest." Keith spoke up before Shiro could answer her. "He's not joining us."

"But we need him!" Pidge said. "We need Voltron or we'll lose, Keith!"

"Well, we better find another way!" He choked, his voice failing even more with the raise in volume. There was a small pause when everyone just concentrated on the fight.

"We'll see what we can do." Shiro said, ending the topic. "For now, hold them off."  
And they did. It was tough, with their limited ships and tired pilots, but they were still strong enough to hold their position for one or two hours. The more time passed, however, the harder it got. They were all getting tired, and the ship's system wasn't easy to maintain for so long, even more so when the crew had no training on flying it. Keith knew they wouldn't hold on for too much longer, but even if Lance did join the battle, he'd be the weakest. And Sendak knew it. He'd attack Lance with all he had, he'd kill him. And Keith wasn't risking it.

A ship flew out of the Atlas, joining them. "Hey guys, sorry I'm late." Lance said, weakly. His voice was hoarse and breathless, and Keith could almost see his face, how beaten up he was, sweaty with the effort to keep himself awake.

"You're not fighting." Keith said. He was not taking it. "You're going back to the Atlas and you're staying there."

"Keith…" He tried, sighing. Keith was not taking that.

"No. You need to rest." He said again, interrupting Lance. "We'll deal with it."  
"How?" Hunk asked. "I mean, we're pretty much doomed without Voltron. Unless we find another paladin for the Red Lion in less than ten minutes, we're going down without Lance."

"I don't care!" Keith snapped again, the words almost completely muted. "Lance can't even stand by himself properly, he's not going to fight!" His throat burned in pain with the fruitless effort to yell.

"Keith, please." Lance tried again, pleading. "I'll rest later. I promise."

He hesitated. He didn't like it. He wanted Lance in the Atlas, away from Sendak's line of vision, safe and sound. If he fought, he might die, but if he didn't, they'd all lose and he'd die anyways. It was their only chance. 

"I don't like this." Keith said, giving up. "But if it's our only option, then let's do it. Lance, be careful." He smirked weakly, trying his best to sound determined. "Let's end this fucking asshole."

Keith didn't join in the loud cheering coming from the paladins and the Atlas crew once they won the battle. He kept his excitement to himself, smirking at Black's control panel. After the momentary blast of excitement, their adrenaline was dropping quickly, and they started heading back to the Atlas. For a second, though, silence overcame their small talks, and the ghost of Lance's screams came back to Keith. He looked down to Sendak's ship, fallen directly below him. His smile dropped as the unknown feeling he felt as they left the ship, which now he could certainly identify it as rage, bubbled up his chest. It had grown brighter since the beginning of the fight, rising up from his stomach at each blow Sendak would aim at Lance, at each time it hit Lance and he screamed all the same again. Now, everything came back to him, stronger than ever, and he did not plan on leaving it at that. He charged down, to the ship, aiming for where he knew the control room was.

He ignored his friends calling for him and asking what was wrong as he landed next to the ship, right beside the place where Sendak spent his time observing planets get destroyed, conquering and enslaving people from countless galaxies. And if he wasn't there, Keith would hunt him down, search the entire ship for him. He ignored the other Lions landing next to him as he cut himself a way through the thin wall of the Galra ship. He got in, and, instead of walking through the labyrinth like halls, he kept cutting passages on the walls. His arm felt sore, yet he kept going. He stopped when he found the destroyed control room, Sendak's body right where he thought it'd be. He ignored the paladins as they rushed into the room after him and fell into a surprised and curious silence when he knelt down next to Sendak, feeling his pulse. Alive. Great.

"Keith?" He looked up, analysing Lance, who was only a few steps from Keith, nearer than the others. He looked pale, huge dark eye bags under his eyes, thinner, tired. His eyes didn't shine with surprise, or fear, or pride, or happiness, or sadness. They looked darker than Keith remembered them, duller. "What are you doing?" 

Keith looked back at Sendak's face; his eye was closed, the red glass eyepatch he had glowing under the sunlight that came into the wrecked ship. And the hatred burned darker inside him. He raised up, still looking down at that despicable face. He felt the urge to inflict him pain, make him suffer just as much as Lance did, make him taste a bit of his own venom. But, as tempting as that idea was, he'd be stomping at the same level as that disgusting being he had the disgrace to call Galra. Killing him with his own two hands would be good enough. Not even close to fair, but nothing in the world was. He grabbed his bayard.

"I'm killing him." He answered. Lance's face whitened, blood draining away. His eyes widened, and he jumped several steps back, until he was behind the group, grabbing Hunk's arm with one hand and grasping his own chest with the other.

"What?" Shiro said through their communicators, but Keith ignored him.

"He's alive?" Lance sounded weak, and, as Keith looked at him, he saw fear-- No. He saw terror. His eyes were filled with utmost terror, his gaze drifting between Keith and Sendak.

His face reddened as the flame raged inside his chest, dominating his entire body, looking for a way to be released. "Not for long." Keith didn't recognize his own voice. It was deep, barely contained, but also ragged. It sounded like it hurt to speak, but he couldn't feel it. He looked down, his bayard getting into the form of his sword.

"Wait!" Shiro spoke up again, but Keith didn't move. "Keith, think about what you're doing. He's going to die anyways. Could you really live with this for the rest of your life?"

He snorted, then giggled. It sounded bitter and it died out abruptly. "We've killed countless Galra throughout our journey. Indirectly and with our own hands. What's one more?" He glared at Sendak's glass eyepatch. "And it's not like he doesn't deserve it."

"Keith, we're trying to do things differently now," Pidge tried. "We don't kill when we can avoid it."

Keith looked at her, incredulous. "You're telling me if we found out that Zarkon's alive right now, you'd let him live?!” Pidge opened her mouth, but he kept going. "This guy is dangerous. He shouldn't be left alive." He raised his sword to Sendak's face.

"He won't," Shiro reassured him. "But you don't need to kill him yourself."

"Yes. Yes, I do." Keith didn't like the silence that followed. The more silent it was the louder the memory of those agonizing screams were. 

"Why?" Hunk asked with a soft 88, a worried expression and a strong posture. "Why do you? He's going to die anyways. You don't need to have this blood on your hands."

"You don't understand." Keith said, trying to stop those terrifying sounds that still haunted him and failing miserably.

"We don't. But maybe you could explain to us." Allura, as always, was sweet, gentle, and caring. 

"Keith," Shiro sounded less like a parent scolding him, and more like the caring supportive older brother he had grown to admire and love. "Please. You don't have to. Come back to the Atlas. We'll give you something warm to drink and everything will be fine." But Keith could hear Lance screaming. He could hear it, as the devilish sound clung to him and made it hard to breathe while the hatred grew blindly in him.

"Why do you want that, Keith?" Pidge asked, curious. "What's your motive? Do you hate him?"

"Pidge--" Shiro started, sighing, but Keith cut him off.

"Yes. Yes, I fucking hate him." The spite and bitterness in his voice surprised even him. He knew he hated Sendak from the moment he called Lance pathetic. But acknowledging it and saying it out loud were two different things. He wanted them to know that he did it and why he did it, but now they were just making him mad, getting him to stop and look at that disgusting face for longer, forcing these silent moments where he'd just stand and listen to his memories. He wanted it to end. He didn't want to remember Lance's agony every time his mind was restless, and he didn't want Lance to remember Sendak whenever he closed his eyes.

"Keith…" Shiro spoke again. "Keith, please… Why do you care about how he dies?"

"BECAUSE HE HURT LANCE, SHIRO!" He snapped, feeling his eyes burn. "HE HURT HIM! You weren't fucking there! You didn't hear him scream!" His voice failed, and he felt the tears starting to fall from his eyes. He didn't want to cry. He didn't want them to know he was crying. "I'm tired of this. I'm tired of him. If this man dies, I'll be the one to kill him."

When no one said anything else, Keith nodded to himself. He looked at the face in front of him. He hated it. Every small bit. He raised his sword, and carved it in Sendak's only functional eye. And it felt great. He stayed there, sword in his eye, for a moment, appreciating it, before he twisted the blade slightly and took it off. He stared at him one last time. But he still hated him. He could still hear Lance, faintly and muffled by the ringing in his ear, but he could. And that flame that burned bright inside him was still there. So he raised his arm and swang it down, putting in all the strength he had. He sliced Sendak's throat. Once. Twice. Once more. He looked at that face again, and felt disgusted. Wicked. Dirty. Even so, Sendak was still worse than him. That asshole was the scum on earth, worthless and dead on the ground under him. Keith spat on his face before walking back outside, ready to go to the Atlas and collapse on the bed.

Before that, however, he got into his Lion. As he sat down, his rage and adrenaline left him. And he cried. Not for Lance, not for Sendak, but for himself. He's done it. He's become as bad of a being as he could be. And he didn't know if he was ready to live with that.


End file.
